Chair



Aug. 12 1924. 1,504,447

. G. H. HAMILTON ET AL CHAIR Filed Ja'n. 23; 1922 Patented Aug. 12,1924..

UNITED STATES traan? PATENT ortica.

GEORGE H. HAMILTON AND FRED J'. BLAKSLEE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, AS-SIGNORS TO AMERICAN SEATING COMANY, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHGAN, A COR-PORATON F NEW JERSEY.

CHAIR.

Application led ITanuary 23, 1922. Serial No. 531,135.

To all whom t may concern.

Be it known that we, GEORGE H. HAMIL- 'roN and FRED J. BLAKSLEE,citizens of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the countyof Kent and State of Michigan,

have invented new and useful Improvements in Chairs, of which thefollowing is a specification. ,Y

The present invention relates to chairs; l0

for connecting the backs of chairs side by side to form rows or ranks ofchairs, as adapted for use in theatres, auditoriums and the like.

This object is attained by, and the invention finds preferableembodiment in7 the structure hereinafter particularly described andillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of the standard or support for an adjacent pairof chairs, illustrating particularly the means whereby their backsarerconnected, the position of the chair backs however being shownmerely in dotted lines for the sake of clearness;

Figure 2 is a front view of a portion thereof;

Figure 3 is a rear view of the same;

Figurel is a transverse sectional view thereof taken on a planecorresponding to either line lf-l of Figure 1; and

Figure 5 is a view in perspective showing a modified construction of aclamping member.

In the embodiment of the invention chosen for illustration by thedrawings and for detailed description in the body of this specification,a pair of adjacent chairs in a connected row or rank thereof are shown.These adjacent chairs, having backs 1, 2 whose front surfaces areconcave and whose rear surfaces are convex in horizontal cross section,and having seats of any desired form as indicated at 3, are connected byupwardly extending standards or supports Il, preferably of cast metal,having base portions 5 and arm portions 6. These supports have a centralbody portion 7 intermediate the mutually adjacent edges of the chairbacks and contacting said edges inthe construction seen in Figure 1l,and laterally extending oppositely disposed ribs 8. A clamp member 9having a concave inner surface 10, spaced from the front surface of thechair and its object is to provide improvedmeans backs, and lateraledges 11 contacting said front surfaces adjacent their said edgesrespectively, as particularly shown in Figure Ll, is clamped to thesupport by threaded meansmthe screw bolts l2 passing through spacedapart orifices 13 in the clamp member and threaded in to the nut in thebody portion 7 of the support. The chair backs are thus clamped inposition between the clamp member 9 and the ribs 8, and to more securelythus hold them the supports ribs may bel provided with spurs 14 and theclamp member with like spurs 15 forced into the backs by screwing downthe bolts. These bolts 12 are turned by their heads 16 which projectfrom the front of the structure. nstead of forming the clamp member ofcast metal as indicated particularly in Figures 1 and t, it may be madeflexible (as by stamping it from sheet metal) and formed as indicated inthe clamp member 91 shown in Figure 5; and its edges 111 intermediateits orifices 131 may be spaced as shown `in that view from the frontsurfaces of the chair backs. By such provision, a secure clampingcontact of the clamp member on the chair backs in the region of thebolts 121 is attained.

It will be seen that inasmuch as the chair backs are, as seen in Figurel, concavo-convex in horizontal cross section at their clamped edgeportions, the adjacent chairs are more securely held against separatingmovement in the direction in which the row or rank of connected chairsextends, than if 'such clamped portions extended in a direction parallelwith that in which the rank or row of chairs extends.

The invention being intended'to be pointed.

out in the claims, is not to be limited to or by details of constructionof the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings orhereinbefore described.

We claim:

1. In a structure of the character described; an upwardly extendingsupport having a body portion intermediate the mutually adjacent edgesof the chair backs hereafter mentioned, and having laterally extendingribs; a pair of chair backs whose front surfaces are concave and rearsurfaces convex in horizontal cross section; a clamp member; threadedmeans extending between the clamp member and the supports body portionfor clamping them together with the mutually adjacent edge portions ofthe chair backs between the clamp member and said ribs.

2. In va `structure of the character described; an upwardly extendingsupport having a body portion intermediate the mutually adjacent edgesof the chair backs hereinafter mentioned, and having laterally extendingribs; a pair of chair backs whose front surfaces are'concave and rearsurfaces convex Iin horizontal 'cross section; a clamp member having aconcave inner surface spaced from the chair backs and lateral edgescontacting the front surfaces of the chair backs adjacent their saidedges respectively; threaded means extending between the clamp memberand the supports body -portion for clamping them together with themutually adjacent edge .portions of the chair backs "between the clampmember and vsaid ribs.

33.1In a structure of -the character described; an :upwardly extendingsupport a -b'ody portion `intermediate the vmutually adjacent edges vofthe `chair backs vihereinaftermentioned, vand 'having laterallyextending ribs; a pair ofchairbacks whose 'front surfaces are concaveand rear surfaces member and the support together :with the mutually adjacent edge Aportionsof the chair backs between the clamp member and saidribs.

4. In a structure of the character described; an upwardly extendingsupport having a body portion intermediate the mutually adjacent edgesof the chair backs hereinafter mentioned, and having laterally extendingribs; a pair of chair backs whose front surfaces are concave and rearsurfaces convex in horizontal cross section; a iexible clamp memberdisposed parallely to the support and having spaced apart orifices;threaded means extending between the clamp member and the support s bodyportion and passing through said orifices for clamping the clamp memberand the support together with theimutuallyY adjacent edge portions ofthe chair backs between the clamp lncmber and said ribs.

5. In a structure of the character described; an upwardly extendin(rsupport having ,a body portion intermediate and contacting the mutuallyadjacent edges of the chair backs hereinafter mentioned, and havinolaterally extending ribs; a pair of chair lbacks whose front surfacesare concave and rear surfaces convex in horizontal cross section; .aclamp member; threaded means extending between the clamp member and thesupports body portion for clamping them together with the mutuallyadjacent edge portions ofthe chair backs between the clamp ymember andsaid ribs.

:Intestimony whereof we have hereunto set our :hands at Grand Rapids;Michigan, this 6th day of January, 1922.

iGEORG-E I-I. I-IAMILTGN. 4FRED J. BLAKSLEE.

